Exminster to vote on Neighbourhood Plan

Residents of Exminster have the opportunity to decide if a Neighbourhood Plan can be used to influence planning decisions in the area over the next 20 years by voting in a parish referendum.

A Neighbourhood Plan is a community-led process for guiding the future development, regeneration and conservation of an area.

It contains aims, planning policies and proposals for improving the area or providing new community, sport and leisure facilities. It can be used to help decide where things should take place and to identify and protect important local green spaces.

The referendum on Thursday 12 February 2015 will be held to decide on the following question:

“Do you want Teignbridge District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Exminster to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

People who are registered to vote in the Exminster parish can go to the polls. If more than 50% of the votes cast in favour, it then becomes part of the development plan for the area and a statutory consideration in determining planning applications.

The Polling Station will be at Victory Hall, Main Road, Exminster, EX6 8BU. Voting will take place between 7am -10pm. Any registered elector living in the Exminster Parish area is eligible to vote.

The Plan was produced by Exminster Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Planning Group with support from Teignbridge District Council.

Cllr John Goodey, Teignbridge District Council’s Executive member for housing and planning and ward member for Kenn Valley, sits on the Planning Group.

He said:

“The referendum on February 12 is the culmination of over two years work by the Exminster neighbourhood plan working party. This group of parish councillors and residents of the parish have built on the content of the Exminster Community Plan that was adopted in 2012, which demonstrated the wishes and aspirations of the residents of the parish.

“Local plans are a vital link to national planning policy. As one of the first 50 parishes in the country to reach this stage, Exminster has paved the way working closely with officers at Teignbridge District Council for other communities in the district to follow.

“I hope this example of community involvement will encourage other parishes working on their own neighbourhood plans or are embarking on the long path, that their efforts will be worthwhile.”

Exminster Parish Councillor Adrian Wood, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan working party, said: “This is the result of four years of endeavour by the Community.  First, with a Community Plan and then our Neighbourhood Plan.  Around 40 volunteers distributed the Community Plan questionnaire and 60% of residents completed the questionnaire which provided the information for the Community Plan and the evidence for the Neighbourhood Plan.

“The Community Plan was developed to address the needs of our expanding community in a sustainable manner.  An adopted Neighbourhood Plan is a legal document sitting alongside the Teignbridge Local Plan when planning applications are considered.

“As well as all the Plan volunteers, the Parish is indebted to the members of the Community Plan working party and I would like to record my thanks to the members of the Neighbourhood Plan working party, past and present.

“The Implementation of the Neighbourhood Plan now depends on the outcome of the vote and we would encourage everyone to get involved and have their say on February 12.”
Following a consultation with the community last summer, the Plan was examined by an independent who concluded the proposed policies met the required conditions and gave the go-ahead a referendum.

Further information relating to the referendum and the Exminster Neighbourhood Plan is available at www.teignbridge.gov.uk/exminster

The referendum follows a Ministerial visit to Exminster by Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis on 22 January. He met with representatives of the Neighbourhood Planning Group. Members explained how they had developed their Plan, discussed experiences of the process and how it could be improved in the future for the benefit of other groups.

Following his visit Mr Lewis said: “Neighbourhood planning is a vital part of the Government’s reforms to help local communities play a much stronger role in shaping the areas in which they live and work. It was great to see all the hard work and enthusiasm which has clearly gone into getting the Exminster Neighbourhood Plan to the very final stages of this process”.

Photo: © Copyright Lewis Clarke and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.